"We were playing Somerset, and our defense was on the field. During a timeout, we were shouting for someone to bring the water out on the field," White said. "I turned around and there's Trevor, the starting quarterback, carrying water out to the defense. That just speaks to what kind of kid he is."

The senior captain is also the kind of kid who could score in a variety of ways for the Indians this season, and becoming a more well-rounded quarterback while leading his team to an 8-3 season has earned him The Standard-Times 2011 Offensive Football Player of the Year honors.

"We just felt like the way we were playing and practicing, we were really clicking," Leandro said. "Once we got going, our offense was just in the flow."

Leandro finished the season 35-of-68 for 686 passing yards. He threw for 11 touchdowns and had seven interceptions. He was No. 2 in passing touchdowns in the area, behind the 16 that Myles Medeiros threw for New Bedford, and ranked third in passing yards behind Medeiros and Wareham's Anthony Abbot.

He was also the fourth-best rusher in the SouthCoast, carrying the ball 127 times for 704 yards and seven scores. The other three ahead of him — Apponequet's Nate Michael, Indians teammate Mitch Loranger and ORR's D.J. McDonald — were all running backs.

"Having the running backs that we did allowed him to not have to be the focal point of the game, and he was able to rip off some big runs," White said. "If teams were keying on Mitch or if they stopped our running game, Trevor would just throw a little bit more."

Leandro also kicked extra points for the Indians, and led the SouthCoast in total scoring with 76 points on the season.

While it was an outstanding season for Leandro, his first thoughts aren't about the prolific offense he led or the touchdowns he tallied. His thoughts instead turn to Dartmouth's 1-3 record in the Old Colony League. Despite their offensive firepower, the Indians lost 37-0 to Barnstable and 30-6 to Bridgewater-Raynham, ending any chance they had for a playoff appearance by Halloween.

"The season was great, it was a lot of fun and it looks great on paper. We won a lot of games," Leandro said. "But it was the OCL that mattered, and we couldn't execute in the league games. But I had a great time playing alongside these guys and I don't regret anything."

In Dartmouth's signature victory of the season, a 56-28 win over New Bedford, Leandro ran for five touchdowns, amassing 153 yards on rushing TDs alone. He also threw an 82-yard touchdown pass to Brock Thibeault and a six-yard scoring strike to Tim Smith, and kicked all eight of the Indians' PATs in the game. The 56 points were the most for Dartmouth since The Standard-Times began keeping records in 1974, and Leandro had a hand in pretty much all of them.

"He's a quiet kid, and he just leads by example. He was a great captain for us this year," White said of Leandro, who carries a 3.37 GPA in the classroom. "He became much more of a vocal leader, which was nice to see."

It was also nice to see him develop his arm. Leandro had been a quarterback through Pop Warner and into high school; he got his first shot at the varsity job in his sophomore year. But Leandro also had the daunting task of replacing Mike Grandfield, who was a strong passer.

"We were very different quarterbacks. He had the arm, and I didn't," Leandro said. "I wasn't as good of a passer, but I could run. So I just did what the team needed me to do and my arm developed more along the way."

Because he's only about 5-8, Leandro had a much harder time seeing the passing lanes

"He's a little smaller than most quarterbacks, and the ball was big in his hands so it was hard for him to grip the ball early on in his career. He had to learn how to get rid of the ball quickly and make a lot of pre-snap reads and utilize more play-action," White said. "He really worked hard on his passing in the off-season and you can see that in the way he played this year."

Prior to the season, Leandro and his teammates took part in a voluntary passing league in Bridgewater.

"Most schools participate in it. It's one-hand touch, seven-on-seven and it's all passing," White said. "It gave Trevor a chance to work more with his receivers. That's where he really started to improve, getting all those repetitions throwing the ball."

The result was a season in which Leandro completed over 50 percent of his passes, turning the Indians from powerful to powerhouse.

"That added another dimension to our offense, and made it more diverse," White said. "He also got better at changing the play at the line of scrimmage. We ran a lot of no-huddle this year because he had such good command of the offense. It was a lot for a quarterback to handle but he did a great job."

Even though Leandro made leaps and bounds in his passing this season, he still put the credit more on his offensive line for giving him the time, and for his receivers for making his job easier.

"Nick Simonetti is just an unbelievable athlete," he said. "He made some spectacular catches. All the receivers helped in that aspect."

Now that his high school career is over, Leandro thinks it's pretty much the end of football for him. He knows he's not big enough to be considered as a college quarterback, the only position he's ever really known. He said he's content with leaving football behind, because Leandro has designs on becoming either an electrical or mechanical engineer, and is looking at schools like Wentworth, UMass Amherst, UMass Dartmouth, the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern.

"It was great to play football for Dartmouth and play with my teammates for four years," he said. "I knew as the quarterback I'd be in the spotlight, because all eyes are on you, good or bad. If you screw up or if you do well, everyone is focused on what you did. I think I did pretty good."

In his first year at quarterback, Abbott emerged as a force and helped the Vikings bounce back from last year's 1-10 record with a 6-4 mark this season. Abbott completed 45 percent of his pass attempts for more than 800 yards and six touchdowns. The South Coast Conference All-Star also finished the season with 89 carries for 238 yards and four rushing touchdowns. His most impressive offensive performance came in Wareham's 30-21 come-from behind victory over Seekonk when Abbott completed nine passes for 255 yards and one touchdown. He also had 12 rushes for 40 yards and another score in the game. "He got better every single week," said head coach Dan Nault. "He exceeded everything I've asked him to do." Abbott also had an impact on the defensive end as a second-year starting safety. "On defense, he makes most of our tackles," Nault said. "He's our best defender and our best football player. He's the real deal." Outside of football, Abbott runs track at Wareham High.

Baldwin, a right guard, played a major role in Fairhaven's biggest win under second-year head coach Rudy Bulgar. With the score tied at 14 against Dartmouth, the Blue Devils lined up to punt, but faked it. Baldwin not only sold the fake, he threw a perfectly placed ball to teammate Billy Pires, who raced down the sideline 48 yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown on Thanksgiving. "He threw a (48-yard) touchdown pass vs. Dartmouth, not many linemen can say that," said Bulgar. "He's a good kid, hard worker and a player every coach would love to have." The versatile Baldwin also made some big plays in his first year as the team's starting inside linebacker. He averaged 10 tackles per game for Fairhaven's defense. "He was a force on both sides of the ball," Bulgar said. "He learned fast. He was the hardest hitter on the team and has anchored the offensive line the last two years." Baldwin also plays baseball at Fairhaven High.

Every time DePina touched the ball in the open field, the 5-foot-6, 150-pound running back seemed to make good things happen. Although the Big 3 All-Star was sidelined for the regular-season finale and Div. 1 playoff game with a broken collarbone, he had 114 carries for more than 650 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. "Often times, he was the smallest guy on the field, but he had a huge impact in every game he played in," head coach Dennis Golden said. DePina also caught 17 passes for more than 230 yards and three touchdowns. DePina scored twice on special teams, returning a punt 88 yards against Silver Lake for a score a week after returning a kickoff 82 yards to paydirt against Wareham. DePina converted six two-point attempts for the season. "He was a threat to score running the ball, catching the ball and returning punts and kickoffs," Golden said. "He's like lightning in a bottle. I can't recall a guy as quick as him." DePina also plays basketball and lacrosse.

All of Dartmouth's offensive success began with Dillingham's solid performance at center. "He helped with two different kinds of shotgun snaps," explained head coach Rick White. "He was our most consistent linemen and he was our best linemen." Thanks to steady pass protection provided by Dillingham, teammate Trevor Leandro was able to throw for more than 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. Dillingham, an Old Colony League All-Star, also helped create openings for Leandro and co. to rack up more than 2,800 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns as the area's most prolific offense. When the team needed him to, Dillingham filled in on defense at nose guard and linebacker. As one of the team's captains, Dillingham was instrumental in the program's turnaround, helping the Indians finish this year 8-3 after back-to-back losing seasons. In addition to football, Dillingham also competes for Dartmouth High's winter and spring track teams. After graduation, he's hoping to study physical therapy at either Quinnipiac, University of Connecticut or Endicott.

Gralton, a two-year starter, had an impact for a young Bishop Stang team on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Gralton, a blocking guard, helped create opportunities for the Spartans' ground attack that surpassed 1,050 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Gralton's intensity set the tone for his team on defense as well. From the defensive end position, he ranked third among team leaders in tackles and finished the season with four quarterback sacks. "He makes a lot of tackles," said head coach Bill Kavanaugh. "He's a very good pass-rusher." Despite Bishop Stang's 3-8 record, the Spartans allowed a season-high 28 points three times, but also held three opponents to seven points or less, and Gralton had a lot to do with that. "His motor, he keeps on coming," Kavanaugh said. "He's full speed ahead all the time." Gralton earned Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star honors and was the school's Otto Graham Award nominee. He also plays for Bishop Stang's lacrosse and winter track teams. Next year he plans to study history at Franklin Pierce University.

After missing nearly half of last season with an injury, MacDonald made the most of his senior campaign as the 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back carried the ball 134 times for more than 900 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had more than 200 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. "D.J. is the total package as a running back; he can catch, run for hard yards between the tackles, he has the speed to pull away from people and he make a big play out of nothing," said head coach Henry Quinlan. "He will be impossible to replace." MacDonald, a two-year starter, saved his most impressive performance for his last. In Old Rochester's 20-13 win over Apponequet, MacDonald had 10 carries for 178 yards and three touchdowns, including one on a 98-yard scamper. "He took the Thanksgiving game over. He broke the school record for a run from scrimmage," Quinlan said. "He was our best offensive weapon. People always had to account for him." MacDonald, who was named to the South Coast Conference second team, also started on defense at corner for a handful of games and kicked 13 extra points.

Melendez was a beast on both sides of the ball, helping GNB Voc-Tech enjoy the program's first winning season since 1991 with his play at offensive guard and defensive tackle. Not only did the 6-foot, 220-pound Melendez create openings for Voc-Tech's running backs, he did a solid job of limiting the opposing teams' rushing attacks. "There's no question that he's the best offensive and defensive lineman we've got," said head coach Chuck Allaire, whose team won the Large School State Vocational title for the second straight year. "He's strong and he's quick. He's one of the best D-linemen Voc has seen in a long time." Melendez started working hard in the weight room two years ago and it's paid off as he's able to bench press 325 pounds. Besides his increased strength, Melendez has also set himself apart with his stamina. "He never comes off the field for us," Allaire said. "He plays every snap on offense and every snap on defense." The South Coast Conference All-Star also competes for GNB Voc-Tech's track team. After graduation, Melendez plans to join the military.

A year after setting the single-season mark for rushing yards with 1,339, Michael added his name to another record as he surpassed Adam Bellavance's 35 career touchdowns to become the school's all-time scorer with 39. He broke the record with three touchdowns against Wareham in Week 10 and added two more against Old Rochester on Thanksgiving. "He really finished the year strong," said head coach Bob Lomp. For the second straight season, Michael led all SouthCoast rushers with 1,224 yards and 12 touchdowns. "This year was more impressive than last year, I think," Lomp said. "He played behind a makeshift line and we didn't have a passing game so Nate was the lone solider this year. Apponequet's Otto Graham Award nominee also had an impact on special teams and defense from his linebacker position. The four-year starter and three-sport athlete was named to the South Coast Conference All-Star team for the second time. He finished his career with more than 650 rushes for more than 3,000 yards with 18 100-yard games. "He had quite a career for us, he was super consistent," Lomp said. "Just his durability is remarkable. He never missed a play, he never missed a practice." Next year, Michael plans to study engineering at Mass Maritime.

Pires worked hard in the offseason to build up the strength to become a force on New Bedford's offensive line as the team's starting center. The Big 3 All-Star did a solid job of providing pass protection for the aerial assault that surpassed 1,400 yards and opening holes for the rushing attack that racked up more than 1,200 yards. "He's not a tall guy so he worked in the weight room to help with his leverage and balance," said head coach Dennis Golden. "He worked his way into being a good football player." As a three-year varsity player and two-year starter, the veteran Pires provided the team's younger players with his knowledge of the sport and led with his work ethic. "He's a great student in the classroom and a real hard worker," Golden said of the team's 2011 Unsung Hero. In addition to football, the 5-foot-10, 250-pound Pires is a member of New Bedford High's lacrosse and winter track teams. Next year he plans to study civil engineering in college.

Once again, Risch was one of SouthCoast's top receivers even though Old Rochester switched to an option offense focused on its ground attack. The South Coast Conference All-Star finished his senior year with 20 catches for 264 yards and five touchdowns. After catching just one touchdown in his team's first four games, Risch broke through with four TD receptions during a five-game stretch. His most impressive came on a 40-yard strike, which he caught in stride, from Mike Asci in Old Rochester's 42-0 rout of Bristol-Plymouth. Risch also scored two-point conversions twice in the season. Over the past two years, Risch has caught 50 passes for more than 550 yards and nine touchdowns. "He made some great contributions on offense and defense," said head coach Henry Quinlan. The 6-foot-7, 195-pound Risch played as a defensive back on Old Rochester's defense. "He was very physical on both offense and defense," Quinlan said. "He was one of most valuable guys." Outside of football, Risch plays basketball and runs track at Old Rochester.

While Soares never scored a touchdown this season, he had a huge impact on GNB Voc-Tech's scoring with the power of his foot. In addition to kicking 17 extra points, Soares connected on four field goals — two 20-yarders, a 25-yarder and a 27-yarder. "He's kicked some long ones," said head coach Chuck Allaire. "He came in Thanksgiving freshmen year and since then he's gotten a lot of points for us." In his third full year kicking, Soares has established himself as the program's all-time leader in extra points with 38. He finished the regular season with 15 and had two in his team's playoff game. Soares' extra point against Bishop Stang in Week 2 lifted the Bears past the Spartans, 7-6. His 20-yard field goal was the difference in Voc-Tech's 17-14 win over Greater Lawrence in the Large School State Vocational Bowl to clinch the program's first winning season (7-5) since 1991. Outside of football, Soares plays lacrosse at GNB Voc-Tech.

Wood had a knack for coming down with the ball in the end zone. The 6-foot, 165-pound wide receiver not only had 55 catches for 544 yards, seven of them were for touchdowns. His best offensive showing came in New Bedford's Week 2 win over Silver Lake when Wood caught seven passes for 97 yards, including 12-yard and 27-yard scoring strikes from Myles Medeiros. "He caught the deep ball very well," said head coach Dennis Golden. "He had a real good connection with Myles. We went to him down at the goal line a lot. He did a tremendous job." The Big 3 All-Star also played safety/defensive back on defense and returned kicks. He had 36 solo tackles, 28 assists and two interceptions. "He's football savvy," Golden said. "He's been playing for a long time so he knows how to get open and he knows how to compete for the ball." New Bedford's Otto Graham Award nominee is a standout in the class as well with a 3.1 GPA and class rank of 81 out of 636. Next fall he hopes to attend Bentley University and major in business.

Even though Old Rochester switched to an option-based offense, Asci still managed to complete 43 of 89 pass attempts for 635 yards and six touchdowns. To help his team, an unselfish Asci moved from starting quarterback to blocking receiver midway through the season, earning him Old Rochester's Unsung Hero award.

In his second year starting, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Beauregard was named an Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star for his contributions on the offensive line and on defense as an outside linebacker. "He's an extremely good tackler," said head coach Bill Kavanaugh, adding that Beauregard's intensity separated him from others. "He was a very intense player, but he was also responsibly conscious. He's a very bright player."

Bullock played where ever Apponequet's coaching staff needed him on offense, lining up in the backfield, at offensive end and even tight end. While Bullock didn't have a ton of offensive stats himself, he helped create openings for teammate Nate Michael, who broke the school record for career touchdowns with 39. After spending the past two seasons as a linebacker, Bullock moved to defensive line and was one of the leaders on a young Laker team that finished the season 6-5.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Carreiro contributed on both sides of the ball, playing on the offensive and defensive lines. "He went both ways," said head coach Rick White. On offense, Carreiro helped provide enough pass protection for quarterback Trevor Leandro to throw for more than 700 yards and 11 touchdowns and created enough holes for the Indians to surpass 2,800 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns. Defensively, Carreiro helped the Indians hold the opposition to seven points or less six times.

Flynn had a way of getting open and turning a short pass into a big gain as he was one of Fairhaven's most consistent targets for quarterbacks Jared Antil and Christian Braga. The 6-foot-3, 185-yard Flynn caught nine passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns as the Blue Devils offense came to life this season with 173 points after notching just 69 a year ago.

Hogan didn't have the biggest numbers on offense, but as a blocking tight end, he helped create openings for his teammates. The two-way player, who also competed as a defensive back, managed to catch seven passes for 154 yards and one touchdown despite the team focusing its offensive attack on its running game. His lone touchdown — on a 57-yard catch — was the game-winner in Voc-Tech's 7-6 victory over Bishop Stang.

Even though he missed the last three games with an injury, Hsia had a strong senior campaign for the 8-3 Indians, who rebounded from back-to-back losing season. In addition to carrying the ball 40 times for 388 yards and four touchdowns, Hsia returned a punt for a score against Silver Lake. Described by head coach Rick White as "the heart and soul of our football team," Hsia also contributed on defense as a safety with 42 tackles.

Ponte did a little bit of everything for the Bears, who enjoyed their first winning season in 20 years. Not only was Ponte one of the team's featured backs, he played outside linebacker and returned punts and kickoffs. "He's just a phenomenal athlete," said head coach Chuck Allaire. "He does so many other things. When we did run spread, we tried to get the ball in his hands as much as we could." Ponte finished the year with 96 rushes for more than 650 yards and five touchdowns.

Sauve, a transfer from New Bedford, emerged as Bishop Stang's biggest offensive threat, scoring a team-high seven touchdowns, including two in the Spartans' 40-6 Thanksgiving Day win over Bishop Connolly. He also had a punt return for a score against Coyle-Cassidy. "He's had a good season half of the year," said head coach Bill Kavanaugh of the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder. "He's gotten to be a better runner."

Described by head coach Dan Nault as "the heart and soul" of the team, Silveira did everything that was asked of him and more. In addition to catching nine passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound Silveira played defense, provided blocking down field for his teammates and even lined up at center because to injuries. "It's great to have a kid that can do just about anything," Nault said of Wareham's Unsung Hero for 2011.

While Dartmouth's offense did most of its damage on the ground with more than 2,800 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, Simonetti's contributions at wide receiver kept defenses honest and helped provide a balanced attack. In his first year starting, the 6-foot, 160-pound Simonetti caught 16 passes for 398 yards and six touchdowns. His most impressive showing came against Durfee when he had three catches — all touchdowns — for 56 yards.